Environmental tobacco smoke: exposure assessment in the workplace

The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public convened a multidisciplinary workshop 12-13 September 1997 to assess current understanding of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure in the workplace. Invited participants represented areas of expertise in building systems, measurement of ETS, biomarkers of ETS exposure, time-activity patterns, and exposure models. Workshop participants were asked to conduct reviews in their specific areas of expertise relevant to the following general charge: to address key issues related to ETS exposure in the workplace to prepare the groundwork for risk assessment of the hazard that ETS poses to workers. Discussions focused on the extent of the data available on exposures of workers to ETS and approaches used to estimate exposures to ETS in the workplace. The monograph based on this workshop includes individual contributions that provide in-depth coverage of the specific areas and a summary of the discussion that describes an approach to estimating exposures of the nation's workers to ETS as well as research recommendations.